Read the Latest Issue of Scams Bulletin - January 2016 (Focusing on Investment Scams) - produced by Hampshire Trading Standards
Also refer to Hampshire Trading Standards on this Site
The purpose of this scams bulletin is to enable Hampshire residents to be aware, and therefore guard against the type of scams currently being reported to the Hampshire Trading Standards Service.
This Year's Vital Signs survey
is looking at fraud in the home and it will help to inform and guide the
Foundation’s understanding of how fraud, including cybercrime, impacts
local people across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
We hope that once again you will
all take a few minutes out of your busy lives to help us with this
important survey.
We would be most grateful if you
could please complete it by Monday 11th
July 2016 by clicking on the link below:
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/scams
The scam starts with a phone call from a male
purporting to be ‘Sgt Harris’ from Hammersmith Police. ‘Harris’
advises the resident that they have detained a member of bank staff
under suspicion of fraudulent activity on the residents bank account.
‘Harris’ then askes the resident to call 161 (or 061) satisfy themselves
that he is a genuine caller. The resident then hangs up, but
‘Harris’ then keeps the telephone line open. When the resident
calls 161 or 061 an accomplice answers and confirms ‘Harris’ is a
genuine caller.
The resident is then advised to call their
bank. Again the line is left open by the accomplice, but the
resident thinks they have started a new call. The person answering
this time claims to be from the bank, and after taking some security
details and a mobile phone number, tells the resident that a large
amount of money has been removed from their account, and put back in as
counterfeit money. This money needs to be withdrawn from the
account and handed to the Police at an arranged contact point.
Further calls are made to the residents
mobile phone number to encourage them to get the money.
It should be noted that there are variations
on this scam and the information is not restricted to the above.
Although reports have come in from the Farnborough area, there is no
reason to suspect that this may not be a countywide issue.
If any resident is contacted by the
Police, and they are suspicious, best advise is to get a collar number
from the caller. Using a different phone, or after 20 minutes,
call 101 and ask for the officer.
To report a scam or suspicious phone call,
contact our partners at the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 03454
05 06 07, or the Police on 101.
Shopping online can be fun and convenient but are you doing all
you can to keep yourself and your family safe on the internet?
Do you know how to keep
your credit card secure whilst
shopping online? Is your card registered for added security measures
such as Verified by Visa, MasterCard Secure or American Express SafeKey?
Here are some steps for safe online shopping;
1. Website URL address security: Look for the
https at the start of the URL and make sure the green bar and padlock
are present in the browser bar.
2. Wifi security: Check you are connecting to
the right network. Avoid making financial transactions on public wifi
and use a password protected network.
3. Avoid unsolicited emails: Links and files
in unknown emails could be a scam and hold viruses or take you to fake
sites to collect your personal or financial details.
4. Using online banking: Check your
statements regularly or get mobile alerts for your bank account.
5. Beware of fraud: Report any suspicious
activity to Action Fraud as well as your bank
6. Remember to Log Out: Always log out after
an online transaction instead of just closing down the browser.
7. Security Software is essential. Use age
appropriate filters to monitor your children’s activities and block
inappropriate online activities. Update regularly!
8. Social Networks: These are increasingly
used by fraudsters. Watch out for things like fake friend requests and
YouTube links containing malware.
9. Tickets: Be cautious when buying tickets
online. Figures suggest that 1 in 10 ticket buyers have purchased fakes
at some time.
10. Use a secure payment site such as PayPal
unless you know who you’re paying money to.
11. Ideally ensure you know who you are
buying from.
12. Register your credit card with Verified
by Visa, Mastercard Secure or American Express Safekey for added
security.
13. The sale of goods act applies to online
sales in the
14. Read terms and conditions before
agreeing, as accepting is entering into a legally binding agreement!
We can all do our bit to make Hampshire an
even safer and better place to be so if you have information about ANY
crime, please do not hesitate to give Crimestoppers a call on 0800 555
111. You can also log on to www.crimestoppers-uk.org to give information
online anonymously. For those of you Twittered up, please follow me
@HantsCrimestopp for regular updates.
Hampshire County Council Trading Standards
Service would like to raise awareness of a letter scam currently being
received by several Hampshire residents. The letter is titled "People’s
Postcode Lottery", usually in coloured type, and states that a big
money win of £825,000 has been allocated to the recipient in a draw of
the People’s Postcode Lottery 2015 Award International programs held in
Madrid, Spain.
The letter contains poor grammar and looks
home produced. It claims to be from the People's Postcode Lottery,
gives a London address, London phone number and is signed by 'Baron
Wheels' President of the company. In order to start a claim the
recipient is asked to contact the Foreign Service Manager.
The letter is to be regarded as a mass
marketed fraud, and is very similar to the typical ‘Spanish Lottery’
scam that has been around for years. Any attempts to respond to
the letter will result in personal data and an administration fee being
requested. Further money will then be requested.
Under no circumstances should personal
information or money be sent. There is no prize, and the money
will not be recovered.
The genuine People's Postcode Lottery
says it will not, under any circumstances, request a payment to receive
any prize. If you receive a letter, email or text message claiming to be
from the People’s Postcode Lottery, please call 0808 1098765 to check
with their customer service team.
Remember - it is not possible to win a lottery
unless you have personally purchased a ticket.
To read a typical letter that be used. Read More ...
For further consumer advice or to report a
matter to Trading Standards, please contact the Citizens Advice Consumer
Service on 03454 04 05 06.
Fraudsters are targeting individuals who have
recently expressed an interest in an online loan. Unsolicited calls are
made by fraudsters who appear to be calling from a genuine company. They
state that the recently applied for loan has been agreed, but an
"advance fee" is required before the money can be transferred.
Once these “fees” have been paid, either directly to the fraudsters’
bank accounts or through a money service bureau, they are unrecoverable.
In many cases, fraudsters have asked for multiple upfront “fees” to
address issues arising with the loan.
Protect yourself:
The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB)
wishes to remind investors that fraudsters are still active and are
using various methods to dupe victims into investing in fine wine.
Whilst it might be easy to identify a fraudulent investment in
non-existent fine wine, there is another tactic which is much harder to
detect that relies on limited knowledge of the investor in this specific
area.
In many cases, the fraud relates to the value of the wine
as opposed to the existence of the wine. Therefore, fraudsters will be
able to prove to the victims that they have the wine in stock, however
the wine in stock will be significantly cheaper than the inflated price
the fraudsters ask the victims to pay.
Whilst it may look like a
‘real deal’, the dramatically inflated prices make the promise of any
returns unrealistic.
Assessments of reports show that
fraudsters charge victims an average of 47% more than the comparative
market values at the time of sale.
The brokers who typically
cold call victims boast that an increasing market in China will
guarantee tax free profits. When questioned about risk, fraudsters will
convincingly say that it is “extremely low”.
How to protect
yourself against investment fraud:
Hampshire County Council Trading Standards Service would like
to alert residents to reports of suspicious unsolicited telephone calls
from individuals claiming to be from Hampshire County Council.
The callers ask if the recipient has had an accident in the workplace or
in the car.
Trading Standards suspect these calls to be
‘phishing’ attempts to gain personal information, and are concerned that
money may be asked for. Advice is to never give out personal
information and never to pay any money over the telephone to unknown
persons.
Hampshire County Council will not cold call to ask for
money over the telephone.
New Forest District Council has been made aware that several residents in the district have received cold calls from two individuals claiming to be working with the council on the Solent Green Deal scheme and asking for householders' details. Reports so far have been from the Lyndhurst area. These individuals are not representing the council or Solent Green Deal. Neither the council nor Solent Green Deal use cold callers to promote schemes or services and all NFDC staff working on council business carry formal identification with them.
Residents who receive a cold call like this are asked to report it to the Police by telephoning 101. The police will share information with Hampshire Trading Standards. Concerned householders can also contact Hampshire Trading Standards Quick Response Team for further advice, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, on 01962 833666.
Anyone who encounters the bogus cold callers is encouraged to note as much information as they can to provide to the police and Trading Standards, such as the company name given by the callers, descriptions of the individuals or a vehicle registration. Local people are urged to remain vigilant for individuals cold calling in their area and to keep a lookout for elderly or vulnerable family members, friends and neighbours.
Cllr Jill Cleary, New Forest District Council portfolio holder for housing and communities, advised: "Legitimate cold callers will carry identification, so always examine it carefully. Do not allow anyone into your home whom you are unsure of and do not give any personal details or sign up to any work on the doorstep."
Solent Green Deal is a scheme developed for Hampshire residents by local authorities and supported by New Forest District Council, which can help people to make energy improvements to their homes. Solent Green Deal only works with a list of approved contractors and would not employ cold callers. For details of the scheme and approved contractors visit solentgreendeal.org.uk or call freephone 0800 052 2242.
